The Aktion Club is a new, FUN Kiwanis-sponsored community service leadership organization for adults with disabilities. The club is open to any adult in Licking County with a disability. The club is self supported by aided by the LCBDD, family, providers, friends and Kiwanis members from the sponsoring clubs.

The club is sponsored by the Kiwanis Clubs of Granville, Heath-Moundbuilders and Newark in partnership with the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The club was chartered on September 1, 2016.

Members hold regular meetings and plan their own service projects and fundraisers. Club members are inducted, officers are elected and installed annually. Leadership and organization training is part of the program. Members receive name badges, membership booklet, membership cards, pins and a service bag.

Club members meet once a month, on the Second Tuesday of the month at 5:45 - 7:00 PM at E.S. Weiant Center located at 116 N. 22nd Street, Newark, Ohio 43055. They also meet once every three months at 11:30-1:00 pm at a different day care provider to hold a meeting and share a service project.

Service Projects

The club members complete and plan their own community service projects during their monthly meetings. The club created and distributed Veteran's cards in November 2016, Valentine's cards to seniors in February 2017, created and delivered over 550 Easter Cards to seniors with help from the KKids and Kiwanis Clubs in April 2017, they created friendly note catepillar clothespins and colorful traction socks for seniors and kids in hospitals in March 2017.

Fundraisers

The Club hosted a Holiday Pie Sale in December 2016 and raised over $500 to attend the MidYear conference in March 2017 and pay for club items. In May, the Aktion Club sold Mother's Day flower arrangements of annuals made with help of the Granville Elementary KKids, the Middle School Builder's Club, the Granville, Newark and Heath Kiwanis clubs, and local businesses including Ross' Granville Market, The Historic Granville Inn, Hope Timber Garden Center and the Newark Canal Market. The club raised over $500 for its projects and to attend the conference in August. Members made more baskets that will be sold at the Newark Strawberry Festival for $10. All proceeds benefit the Aktion Club of Licking County.

The club is excited to have a booth at the Newark Strawberry Festival on June 2-4, 2017. They will be sharing information about the club, giving out free red Strawberry rubber hand stamps, strawberry flavored popsicles and helping the Newark Kiwanis with the event.

In 2016 and 2017 our club has contributed to the Kiwanis "EliMiNaTe" Project to help Kiwanis International's Children's Fund (formerly the Kiwanis International Foundation) in partnership with UNICEF to eliminate maternal/neonatal tetanus worldwide by raising $110 Million. Without vaccines, many mothers and their newborn children may die from this life-threatening and painful disease. Tetanus is a bacteria found in the earth and can be contracted from an open cut such as during the cutting of the umbilical cord at birth. However for $1.80 a mother of child-bearing age can receive a three-part vaccine and be vaccinated from tetanus.

Our club raised $100 in donations at our November 14 meeting. We raised an additional $304 from the Granville and Newark Kiwanis Club members in October. (Both clubs are Model Clubs and have each donated over $50,000 towards the Eliminate Project over the past 5 years.) Together we raised a total of $404 towards the Eliminate project! This amount allows us to provide 224 vaccines, thus we are protecting the lives of over 224 mothers and any of their unborn children. If you would like more information about the Eliminate Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus project, please refer to the Kiwanis International website about the Eliminate Project and donations, or TheEliminateProject.org.

Conferences and Leadership Training

Club members attended the MidYear Education Day Conference on March 4, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Columbus-North. Members will attend the Ohio Annual Aktion Club Service Leadership Conference in Medina, Ohio on August 25, 2017.

Club History

The Aktion Club of Licking County was chartered on September 1, 2016. Formal Charter Event was held on December 12, 2016 at the Newark Hilton Doubletree Hotel hosted by the Newark Kiwanis. The event included the induction of 14 charter members and installation of officers and presentation of the charter and banner to the LCBDD Superintendent Jason Umstot and Proclamations from the Mayors of Granville, Heath and Newark.

For more Information about the club or joining,

Contact Dave McManus at the LCBDD, telephone: (740) 349-6588. Or ask any of the Kiwanis Clubs of Granville, Newark or Heath Moundbuilders.

Tues. Aug 22, 2017 - Quarterly lunch meeting at S.P.A.R.K. in Granville, 11:30-1:00 PM, Service project working on contests for the convention, nominations for officers and voting of photographs for Kiwanis contest at Granville Public Library. Recruited one new member.

Tues. Sept 12, 2017 - Division 10E Kiwanis Council Meeting 4 at Blendon Woods, New Albany. Picnic with Kiwanis Family and presentation of two amtrykes to children from New Albany region. Hosted by the Kiwanis Club of New Albany and Lt. Gov. Jim Janosik (Worthington-Linworth and Polaris Clubs).

Sat. Sept 30, 2017 - Granville Kiwanis Maple Leaf 5K & 10K, fundraiser for the Granville Kiwanis Club and the Wildwood Playground Renovation Project for April 2018. Participants and water stop service project.

Tues. Oct 10, 2017 - Meeting at E.S. Weiant from 5:45-7:00 PM. Installation of new officers and induction of new members. Review project ideas and calendar for new year (starts Oct. 1, 2017). Service project: Show Kindness Grocery bags to be distributed locally and used by area grocery stores. AGENDA MTG 101017

Tues. Oct. 17 2017 - Celebration of 50 years of the LCBDD and Service at E.S. Weiant from3:45 to 6:-00 PM. Members will welcome visitors and host from 3:45-6:00 PM. The club will also have an exhibit table.

Tues. Nov. 14, 2017 - Meeting at E.S. Weiant from 5:45-7:00 PM.Tues. Dec. 12, 2017 - Meeting at E.S. Weiant from 5:45-7:00 PM. We installed the new officers and agred to collect $8 member dues and order tshirts for new members $10. We had guests from Knox County Aktion Club (Mt Vernon) who discussed their clown service project to help educate and install smoke detectors. We also heard from Scott Koebel, Newark Kiwanians and an Advisor from the Newark HS Key Club, who shared about the Key Club activities including the Wildcat-Athon fundraiser for the OSU Children's Cancer Cause BuckeyAthon. They invited us to their Key Club's Board game/social event at Newark High School, Room 314G in the Hub on Dec. 15 Friday night at 7 PM. Barb Might prepared a delicious Italian feast and Olive Garden donated hot bread. Agenda meeting 11/14/17.

Tues. Dec. 12, 2017 - Social Event and Bowling Night at the Park Lanes Bowling Center, 701 Hopewell Dr, Heath, OH 43056 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Refreshments will be provided. Our Kiwanis Family and friends are invited. Bring $3.50 for a game of bowling including shoe rental. We will induct our newest members! RSVP to David.Mcmanus@lcountydd.org Agenda meeting 12/12/2017.

In December 2017, we donated $404.72 to the Kiwanis Children's Fund for the "Eliminate Project" to eliminate maternal/neonatal tetanus around the world. Our contribution helps saves lives! Each $1.80 gives a mother of child bearing age the 3-part tetanus vaccine which protects her and her unborn children.

Sat. December 23, 2017 - Member Kim McClain helped ring the bell for the Salvation Army Newark Corps. Red Kettle Christmas Collection with the Granville Kiwanis and Granville Elementary K-Kids at the Ross' Granville Market. Members collected donations from 10 AM - 8 PM on this very frigid day with the first snow of the season. The weather did not deter people from shopping or donating! Thanks to all who contributed!

Tues. January 9, 2018 - Meeting at E.S. Weiant Center from 5:45-7:00 PM. We will discuss the Food Drive and hear from guest speakers Liz Morgan and Janet (host Carl Gruber). Dinner will be provided. Agenda for Meeting 1/9/18

Tues. February 13, 2018 - Meeting at E.S. Weiant Center from 5:45-7:00 PM. Guests included Lt. Governor James Minter and a representative from the Licking County Food Pantry Network. We collected food items and took a group photo. We collected $125 in donations for the food drive from Newark Kiwanis, which we handed over to the Licking County Food Pantry Network. We continued the food drive at the Saturday Granville Pancake Day and will take another photo at the next meeting. Anna Jeffries from the LCBDD announced that she is going to promote the Aktion Club in a campaign for the LCBDD. She took a photo of the group which she may use in a bill board, with those approving. The club had pizza served by the Heath Moundbuilders Kiwanis club. The club will volunteer at the Granville Kiwanis Pancake Day on Sat Feb 17 at St. Edwards Church in Granville (Kim McClain, Carl Gruber, Kim McClain) and at the Newark Kiwanis Pancake Day on Sat. Feb 24 at the Grove by the River in Newwark (Robert George, Carl Grumer, Amy Gorley). We will discuss at the next meeting where we will be meeting from April 2018 for the next year while ES Weiant is being renovated.

January 9, 2018 - Meeting at E.S. Weiant Center from 5:45-7PM. LCBDD Superintendent Jason Umstot welcomed us before our meeting. We thanks Kim McClain for ringing the Salvation Army kettle bell with the Granville Kiwanis and Granville Elementary K-Kids on Sat. Dec. 23 at Ross Granville Market. We had a guest speaker Megan who shared about the Community Church's upcoming "Night to Shine" prom/dance for people with special needs age 14 and older. The dance is Feb. 9, 2018. More info is online. We planned our Food Drive and created posters. Look for our collection boxes in the community or contact an Aktion Club, Kiwanis or LCBDD member to donate. More info on facebook. We planned to help serve soup at the Salvation Army and help at the Granville Kiwanis Pancake Day on Feb 17 and Newark Kiwanis Pancake Day on Feb 24. We will attend the Division 10E Kiwanis meeting on Feb 27 at the Granville Inn with Kiwansi Governor Dan Litzinger. We enjoyed a catered meal (Granville Kiwanis served it!) of panini grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato basil and homemade vegetable Andouille sausage soup, pickles, chips and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Our next meeting is Tuesday Feb. 13 at E.S. Weiant at 5:45 PM. We will bring our collected food donations. Guests and potential members always welcome!

Photo of Granville Kiwanis volunteers serving our post-meeting meal:

December 23, 2017 - Kim McClain worked in front of Ross' Granville Market with the Granville Kiwanis and Granville Elementary K-Kids to ring the Salvation Army of Newark Corps. red kettle bucket to collect donations. It was a cold day but everyone had fun and people were generous!

December 12, 2017 - The Aktion club celebrated 1-year of service since it's charter on December 12, 2016 at the Doubletree Hotel in Newark, with a bowling event at the Park Lanes Bowling Center, 701 Hopewell Dr. Heath Ohio 43056. The club inducted 5 of its newest members (Kim McLain, Kim Burgess, Tom Olson, Kyle Gossett and Michael Radabaugh). We enjoyed pizza, cookies, water and refreshments and a 50/50 raffle. Over 33 friends, family, Aktion and Kiwanis members participated. The club was looking forward to the next year of service starting with a food drive in January, mentioned President Kyle Gossett. 16 members are currently on the roster for the club. The club also submitted a press release for its $100.72 donation to the Eliminate Project and total collection of $404.72 including donations from the Granville and Newark Kiwanis clubs.

October 17. 2017 - Licking County Board of Developmental Disabiliities Celebrates 50 Years at the E.S.Weiant Center in Newark from 4-7:30 PM. Aktion Club members welcomed guests, passed out programs, and supported an Aktion Club exhibit table with Veteran's Day card hands-on service project for the public

August 26, 2017 - Aktion Club Ohio District Convention in Medina, Ohio